Changeable sign



Aug. 15, 1939. LEROY H DKEY 2,169,409

CHANGEABLE S I GN Filed May 9, 1958 [lill/fill lll/lll Patented Aug. 15, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT "ori-ICE CHANGEABLE SIGN Le Roy H, Dey, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 9, 1938, Serial No. 206,891

'i Claims.

The present invention relates to changeable signs and is particularly directed toward improvements in signs of the character disclosed in the application of Robert L; Pioso and myself, Serial 5 No. 167,258, filed October 4', 1937, for Sign. It is the principal purpose of the present invention to provide a device of this character, ofsimple construction, whereby gaseous conduction tubes may be attached to and removed from a iiexible l conveyor with facility and may be carried by said flexible conveyor around the drive means therefor' without danger of breaking the tubes. The invention embodies certain improvements in the attachment of suspension means to the tubes, l whereby support of the tubes `may be accomplished without injury to the outline of the character represented by the tube and without weakening the tube structure.

The invention also contemplates certain improvements in the manner of attachmentv of the tube expansion means to a flexible conveyor, whereby to eliminate danger of subjecting the -tube itself to strains that might break it when the exible conveyor is bent around a short radius, such, for example, as around a drive wheel or gear for the conveyor.

The features and advantages of the invention will appear more fully as the description proceeds, reference being hadto the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred form of the invention is shown. It is to be understood, however, that the drawing and .description are illustrative only, and are not to be taken as limiting the invention, except insofar as it is limited by the claims.-

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan sectional view of a changeable sign embodying the invention;

Fig, 2 is a sectional view taken substantially o the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and d Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing, the present invention is embodied in a changeable sign of the type wherein sign characters may be carried along a path adjacent to an energizing device and caused to be illuminated as they pass the energizing device. A sign of this character is disclosed in the prior application mentioned hereinbefore.

In the device disclosed herein a plurality of sign characters 5 are carried by a iiexible endless conveyor 6. The conveyor 6 may be driven in any suitable fashion such, for example, as by a drive sprocket wheel 1, which'is driven by a motor 8 by means of a worm 9 and a gear I0. At

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a distance from the sprocket wheel 'l there is a second sprocket wh'eel il around which the conveyor 6 travels, as will be readily understood. The sprocket Wheels 1 and I l are carried upon Suitable shafts l2 and i3 which are supported upon brackets I4 and l5. Brackets I4 and I5 are mounted ina housing i6 which houses the entire sign construction.

Between the sprocket wheels 1 and il a framework is provided for guiding the conveyor 6. This framework is composed of a pair of channel bars l1 and -i 8 which are supported from the housing I6 by suitable brackets I8 bolted to the channel bars and to the housing. These channel bars I1 and I8 are connected together in spaced relation by means of a plurality of tie plates 20, 2| and 22 which may be bolted or otherwise secured to the channel bars. Between the lowerl flanges' 23 and 24 of the channel bars I1 and I8 aplate 25 vis fixed in spaced relation to the adjacent edges This provides longi-v of the flanges 23 Iand 24. tudinally running grooves 26 andf21 in which the conveyor 6 is guided between the sprocket wheels 1 and Il.

The plate 25 is situated on top of a panel 28 `which is desirably constructed of insulating mabinding channel member 3l is mounted on top of the panel 28. The channel 3i, the plate 25 and the cross bars 20, 2l and 22 are secured together by rivets 32. Spacing sleeves 33 are ernployed between the plate 25 and the cross bars to align properly the angular bars I1 and I8 and the plate 25.

The construction of the flexible conveyor 6 is such that it has vertical running portions 34 which ride in the slots 26 and 21 and horizontally extending portions 35 which ,are adapted to rest upon the anges 23 and 24 and the plate 25 to prevent sagging of the conveyor as it travelsfrcm one sprocket wheel to the other. The flanges 23 and 24 are rounded at their opposite ends, as indicated at 36 and 31 so as to guide the'ccnveyer through the slots 26 and 21. The conveyor shown herein is a linked chain wherein the links are of U-shape with the legs of the 'IJ-shaped link 10 in the present construction in providing a very through which the base portion of `the next adjacent link passes. The portions I5 therefore are the loops in the upper leg of the links, while the portions I4 form the base portions of the links. The links are also bent outwardly as indicated at il and 3l adjacent the base, so as to facilitate the turning of the loops of one link about the base of the adjacent link.

The outwardly bent portions 39 are utilized flexible means for attaching the tubes 5 to the conveyor i. At close intervals along the conveyor 5 the portions I5 have suspended therefrom a plurality of links 40. made up of a wire having an upper loop 4| passing around the portion 39 of a link in the con'- veyor 5- and a lower loop 42 turned at right angles ,to the loop 4I and adapted to receive a'hanger 43 which is fixed to the tube 5. Each tube 5 has two such hangers 43 fixed thereto.

Thehangers 43 are preferably made of a fine wire which is quite stiff and which is turned back upon itself at the free end to provide a hook 44. The hanger 43 is fixed to the tube 5'by a clear glass globule 50 which is flrst formed on the end of the hanger 43 and then brought in contact with the wall of thevtube 5 which is maintained at the proper temperature so that the globule will adhere thereto; the globule, of course, being maintained in a molten condition. The hanger 4l when thus attached to the tube 5 may be hooked through the .links 40. and carried by the conveyor 6, as will be readily understood.

The links 40 may be applied to each link of the conveyor, or spaced farther apart, as necessity in any particular installation may dictate. The function-of the links 40 is to provide for adjustment between the hangers 43, which are somewhat rigid with the tubes 5, and the conveyor 6. For example, when the conveyor is passing around one of the sprocket wheels 1 or Il, or around any othershort radius, the distance between points of attachment of two links 40 which are supporting the tube by means of hangers 43, mayv be materially less than the actual length of the conveyor. If the hooks 44 were directly hooked into the portion 39 of the conveyor, then the hangers 43 would have to bend in order to equalize this difference in length. The flexibility provided by the links-40 avoids any strain upon the hangers 43 that would tend to break their connection with the tubes 5. These links furthermore` provide a very simple and effective method by which the tubes 5 may be removed from the conveyor 5. It is thus possible to very quickly change any sign that is carried by the conveyor 6 merely by changing the tubes suspended there- The device asoshown is constructed to produce a double faced sign.l The housing I6 which may take any suitable shape and be constructed of Eachbf the links 40 is ,I

any desirable materials is constructed with transparent panels 45 and 46. The energizing means (not shown) for the radiator strips 2! and ll is also preferably housed in the housing I6.

Y It is believed that the nature of the 'present invention and the manner of its use will be apparent to those skilled in this art. Having thus i f described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a changeable sign, a flexible conveyor means for driving Asaid conveyor, links suspended from said conveyor at points spaced lengthwise of said conveyor, said linksbeing swingable with respect to saidconveyor, and a sign character comprising a gaseous conduction tube having spaced hangers xed thereon, said hangers and links having cooperating portions for suspending the hangers from the-links.

2. In a changeable sign, a flexible conveyor means for driving said conveyor, links suspended from said conveyor at points spaced lengthwise of said conveyor, said links being swingable with respect to said conveyor, and a sign character comprising a gaseous conduction tube having spaced hangers fixed thereon, said hangers and links having cooperating hooks and eyes for sus-- to fix the hangers to the tube, said hangers having hooks at their free ends.

5. In a changeable sign, a sign character comprising a gaseous conduction tube, a p air of Wire hangers, andclear glass globules enclosing one end of each hanger and adhering to Asaid tube whereby to fix the hangers to the tube. l

6. In a changeable sign, an endless' conveyor, rotatable driving and guide wheels therefor, verltical shafts mounting said wheels, means providing guide slots between said wheels, said conveyor having portions riding on said means, links suspended from said conveyor below said slots and wheels, and mounted for swinging movement longitudinally of said conveyor, and sign characters having spaced hangers 'detachably connected to said links.

7. Means for suspending rigid sign characters from an endless conveyor which comprises a sign character, wire hangers rigidly attached to the sign character, links spaced longitudinally of the conveyor and pivotally mounted thereon to swing longitudinally and transversely ofthe conveyor, said hangers and links having hooks and eyes for detachably mounting the hangers on the links.

a LE ROY H. DEY. 

